Collapsible tables

ABSTRACT

A collapsible table comprises a working plate, a pair of supporting elements for this plate and at least one crosspiece for bracing the plate. Each supporting element is fixed removably to the table and the crosspiece is kept fixed with respect to this table and to each supporting element by means of a connection obtained by housing parts of at least one surface of the crosspiece with recesses of each supporting element and of the plate.

white tates Patent 1 Berton 1 Feb. 18, 1975 1 COLLAPSItBLE TABLES [75] Inventor: Marcello Berton, Ronchi di Massa,

Italy [73] Assignee: Ing. C. Olivetti & C., S.p.A., lvrea (Torino), Italy [22] Filed: Sept. 6, 1972 [21] Appl. No: 286,800

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Sept. 16, 1972 ltaly 69945/72 [52] U.S. Cl 108/153, 248/188, 248/1881, 312/195 [51] Int. Cl A47b 3/06 [58] Field of Search 108/153, 150; 248/188.1, 248/188, 188.8; 312/194, 195

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS v Thomason 108/153 2,191,290 2/1940 Richardson et al 312/194 2,719,771 10/1955 Hoven et a1. 108/150 3,339,503 9/1967 Flodell H 108/153 Primary Examiner-Bohby R. Gay Assistant ExaminerDarrel1 Marquette Attorney, Agent, or Firm1ra James Schaefer 5 7 ABSTRACT A collapsible table comprises a working plate, a pair of supporting elements for this plate and at least one crosspiece for bracing the plate. Each supporting element is fixed removably to the table and the crosspiece is kept fixed with respect to this table and to each supporting element by means ofa connection obtained by housing parts of at least one surface of the crosspiece with recesses of each supporting element and of the plate.

9 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures PATENTEUF'EB I 81975 3,866,549

SHEET 10F 5 FIG. 3-

I wi l 4 SHEETEUF 5 PATENTED B I 1975 PATENTEU FEB 1 8 I975 SHEET 3 [IF 5 PATENIEU FEBAI 8 197a SHEET u DF} 5 COLLAPSIBLE TABLES BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to collapsible tables, particularly tables constituting office furniture and including desks within the generic term table.

Known systems for assembling an office table, which comprises essentially a working surface and supporting elements for this surface, consist in connecting the various parts of which the table is composed with the aid of locking means normally comprising threaded members. Since, with these systems, it is necessary to fix these parts individually both to the working surface and to one another, considerable time to assemble is needed. Moreover, in some cases, special tools or specially trained personnel are required for the assembly process.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The object of the present invention is to provide a collapsible table which can be assembled without such disadvantages.

According to the present invention, there is provided a collapsible table comprising a working surface, supporting elem ents for this surface and at least one crosspiece for bracing the surface, each supporting element being fixed removably to the working surface and the crosspiece being kept fixed with respect to this surface and to each supporting element by means of a connection obtained by coupling parts of at least one surface of the crosspiece with parts of each supporting element and parts of at least one other surface of the crosspiece with parts of the working surface.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention will now be described in more detail, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an office table embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the parts of the table of FIG. 1 in the collapsed state;

FIG. 3 is a section of the parts of FIG. 2 taken in the plane of the line III-III;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view, with some parts in section, of a part of the table of FIG. 1 in an inverted position;

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view, with some parts in section, of a panel of the table shown in FIG.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a number of parts of the table of FIG. 1 at the end of a first stage of assembly of the table;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view on a larger scale of a detail of FIG. 6; and

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the table of FIG. 1 during successive stages of assembly.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A table or writing desk is shown in FIG. 1. This table comprises a working surface I of rectangular form, supporting means for this working surface which are con- The surface I may be constructed in any suitable manner and comprise, for example, a pair of sheetmetal walls 4, 5 (FIGS. 1 and 4) between which there is disposed a filling material 6. The crosspiece 3, which is of substantially rectangular cross-section, is in direct contact with the wall 5 (FIG. 4) and, as will be better explained hereinafter, has the function of bracing and rendering the surface 1 rigid and of allowing the fixing to the table of various accessories, such as drawers, containers, or auxiliary working surfaces, such as a supporting surface for an office machline.

Each panel 2 comprises a pair of sheet-metal walls 7 and 8 (FIGS. 4 and 5), joined together by welding and having turned-over edges. Each lateral edge of these walls is shaped in such manner asr to give rise to substantially L-shaped bent portions 11 and 12, respectively, the form of which is clearly visible in FIG. 5. The width of the wall 7 is less than that of the other wall and one wing or flange 13 of each bent portion 12 is welded to the wall 8 to form a panel 2 in which there is formed a pair of vertical grooves 14 (FIG. 4).

The top edges of each of the walls 7 and 8 (which are at the bottom in FIGS. 4 and 5) are bent, substantially at with respect to the walls themselves to give rise to flanges 15 and 16, respectively. A lug 17 (FIG. 5) of each bent portion 11 of the wall 8 is bent and shaped in such manner as to be arranged substantially in the plane of the flange l6 and a corresponding plate 21 provided with a projection 22 is arranged to bear on the lug 17 and partly on the flange 16.. When the flange 13 of each bent portion 12 of the wall 7 is in contact with the wall 8, the flange 15 of the wall 7 is above the flange 16 of the wall 8, as shown clearly in FIG. 4. In the lower part of each bent portion 12 (FIG. 5) there is formed a seat 23 for the projection 22 of the plate 21. The flanges 15 and 16 (FIG. 4) are welded together and the projection 22 of the plate 21 is welded to the flange 16.

Each of the walls 7 and 8 is provided with a plurality of lugs 26 (FIG. 4), arranged to be inserted in corresponding slots 27 of a crosspiece 28 to which feet 29 are fixed. After these lugs have been introduced into the perforations 27, they are welded to the side walls of the crosspiece 28.

To be able to effect the assembly of the table, it is necessary that further machining operations be carried out on the parts thereof and that other parts which will now be described be'associated with these parts.

In each lug 17 (FIG. 5) and in each plate 21 there are formed holes 30 and 31, respectively, the axes of which are substantially coincident when the second part is mounted on the first, as shown in FIG. 4. In the working surface 1 (FIG. 6), near two opposite edges thereof, there are formed two pairs of threaded holes 32 and 33, in locations corresponding to those of the holes 30 (or 31). formed in each panel 2.

In the part of the wall 7 which is at the bottom in FIG. 5 and in the flange 16 of the wall 8, there are formed slots 34 and 35, respectively, arranged to form a cavity 36 (FIG. 4) in the panel 2 in which one end of the crosspiece 3 is housed. In alignment with each of these ends of the crosspiece 3 there is fixed (for example by means of welding) an upright 37 (FIGS. 4 and 6) of substantially square cross-section and of dimensions such as to be capable of being housed inside a cavity 38 between the walls 7 and 8. On the end of each upright 37 which is not fixed to the crosspiece 3 there is mounted a pin 39 (FIGS. 6 and 7) which has a substantially conical portion 41 (FIG. 7) and a substantially cylindrical portion 42. In the main wall of the crosspiece 28 (FIG. 4) of each panel 2 there is formed a hole 43 arranged to engage with the cylindrical portion 42 of the pin 39.

Fixed to the wall 8 (FIG. of each panel 2 is a section 44 having the form of a double L, in one wall 45 of which, substantially at right angles to the wall 8, there is formed a central cut-out 46 with a section corresponding to that of the upright 37 and the axis of which is contained in the plane in which the axes of the slots 34 and 35 and of the hole 43 (FIG. 4) are located.

The working surface 1, the two panels 2, each fast with the corresponding crosspiece 28, and the crosspiece 3, fast with the two uprights 37, are packed in a carton in the arrangement shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. According to this arrangement, the panels 2 with the respective crosspieces 28 and the uprights 37 of the crosspiece 3 rest on the working surface 1. The crosspiece 3 may conveniently rest on a filler element 47, for example of cardboard, while another filler element 48 of substantially L-shaped cross-section can be arranged above the surface 1 and laterally thereof so as to obtain a configuration which is of substantially rectangular form in section, as can be seen in FIG. 3. It is evident from this drawing that the overall-all size of the various parts of the table when arranged in the described configuration is quite small.

To assemble the table, the working surface 1 is initially arranged upside-down on a suitable supporting surface, for example the floor, as shown in FIG. 6. On the middle part of the wall 5 of this srface is rested the crosspiece 3 with the uprights 37 in a vertical position, as can be seen in the same drawing. Since the crosssection of this crosspiece is rectangular, a wall 51 (FIG. 4) thereof bears on the wall 5.

Thereafter, each panel 2 is placed over a corresponding upright 37 (FIG. 8), causing this to pass first into the slot 35 (FIG. 5) of the wall 8 and then into the perforation 46 of the section 44; in the right-hand part of FIG. 8 a panel 2 is shown during this stage of assembiy. When the flange 16 (FIG. 4) of the wall 8 comes into contact with the wall 5 of the surface 1, the pin 39 of the upright 37 is inserted in the hole 43 in the crosspiece 28 of the panel and bottom of the slot 34 (FIG. 5) of the wall 7 comes into contact with the top face 52 (FIG. 4) of the crosspiece 3. At this point, screws 53 are introduced into the holes 30 and 31 (FIG. 5) in the lug 17 and the plate 21, respectively, and screwed into the corresponding holes 32, 33 (FIG. 8) in the working surface 1, completing the assembly of the table.

It can therefore be seen that, although only two pairs of screws 53 are used, it is possible to lock both the panels 2 to the working surface 1 and the crosspiece 3 to this surface and to the panels themselves. In fact, while the fixing of the panels 2 to the working surface 1 is achieved directly with these screws, the connection of the crosspiece 3 to the other parts of the table is achieved by housing the ends of the crosspiece itself in the cavities 36 (FIG. 4) of the panels 2 which are produced by means of the slots 34 and 35 (FIG. 5) in the walls 7 and 8, respectively, of the panels themselves. When the aforesaid ends are housed in these cavities, the crosspiece 3 is prevented from making any mow ment in any direction, as can be seen clearly in FIG. 4.

Moreover, with the connection thus obtained, a very rigid structure is produced, any movement of the panels 2 with respect to the working surface 1 being prevented both under the action of forces and under the action of bending moments applied to them. In fact, the screws 53 react effectively to the forces which tend to detach the panels 2 from the working surface 1 (or the second from the first), while the uprights 37 effectively oppose the moments which tend to bend the panels themselves with respect to this surface. To realize this favorable action exerted by the uprights 37, it must be borne in mind that each of them which has high bending rigidity and is attached rigidly to the crosspiece 3, has one end connected by means of the pin-and-hole coupling 3943 to the crosspiece 28 of the panel 2. When bending moments acting in any plane at right angles to that of the working surface 1 are applied to this panel, these moments are transmitted through the aforesaid coupling (pin 39 hole 43) to the upright 37, which can be regarded as a built-in or fixed beam of high bending rigidity and therefore able to withstand these moments effectively. In fact, as has been said, one end of the upright is connected rigidly to the crosspiece 3 and the latter, in turn, is fixed to the surface 1 by means of the panels 2.

The couplings between each upright 37 and the perforation 46 (FIG. 4) in the corresponding section 44 also contribute to increasing the rigidity of the structure and to improving the connection between each upright 37 and the corresponding panel 2. In particular, this coupling also enables each upright 37 to be kept positioned exactly inside the respective cavity 38 of each panel 2, avoiding the upright itself being able to deform the walls 7 and 8 by coming into contact them.

The table described may be equipped with drawers or containers known per se. For fixing this equipment, screws can be used which are screwed into threaded holes 54 (FIG. 8) both in the wall 52 of the crosspiece 3 and in the wall 7 ofthe panels 2. Moreover, there may be connected to the table an auxiliary working surface, also known per se, on which can be supported, for example, an office machine. This auxiliary surface is provided with supporting means only at one end, while the other end thereof is connected to the crosspiece 3 by means of screws screwed into the holes 54.

What I claim is:

l. A collapsible table including a working plate and comprising:

a crosspiece for bracing said working plate, said crosspiece including a lengthened portion cooperating with said working plate and two opposite ends;

two uprights, each one of said two uprights being rigidly fixed to one corresponding of said two opposite ends and extending by one side transversely to said lengthened portion;

two supporting elements for supporting said working plate, each of said supporting elements including a recess to house said crosspiece, a pair of supporting surfaces transversal to said recess for cooperating with said working plate, and a hole for being passed through by one corresponding of said two uprights; and

fixing members for removably securing said pair of supporting surfaces and said lengthened portion of said crosspiece to said working plate.

2. A collapsible table according to claim I, wherein said working plate has a rectangular form having two edges longer than the adjacent two and comprises a working surface and a bottom surface, a portion of said recess bearing said crosspiece against said bottom surface, parallely to said longest edges.

3. A collapsible table according to claim 2, wherein said fixing members comprise a plurality of screw members and each of said supporting elements comprises:

a panel including two interconnected sheet-metal walls defining an internal space therebetween and provided with bent edges defining said supporting surfaces and having holes for said plurality of screw members, said recess being formed in one of said two interconnected sheet-metal walls; and

a transversal element connected to one of said interconnected sheet-metal walls in proximity of said recess, and in which said first mentioned hole is formed, each of said uprights being disposed inside said internal space defined by said two interconnected sheet-metal walls.

4!. A collapsible table according to claim 3, wherein each of said supporting elements further comprises a supporting crosspiece connected to a lowest portion of said panel and provided with a series of feet.

5. A collapsible table according to claim 3, wherein each of said supporting elements includes a supporting crosspiece connected to a lowest portion of said panel and wherein said supporting crosspiece constitutes a transverse brace for said working plate spanning said two supporting elements, each of said supporting crosspiece comprising a support hole and each of said uprights having one end formed as a pin, said pin being insertable in said support hole of said supporting crosspiece, when said panel is mounted to said working plate.

6. A collapsible table according to claim 1, wherein said two uprights are substantially perpendicular to said lengthened portion and said crosspiece has a section substantially rectangular, said recess being defined by a U-shaped slot formed in each of said supporting elements.

7. A collapsible table comprising a working plate including a working surface and a bottom surface opposite to said working surface, two supporting plates each including two supporting surfaces for being connected with said bottom surface of said working plate, fixing means for removably fixing said supporting surfaces to said bottom surface, and a crosspiece member for interconnecting said supporting plates with said bottom surface, said crosspiece including a portion for contacting said bottom surface and two legs substantially perpendicular to said portion, each, of said supporting plates further comprising engagement means for removably engaging one of said legs with one corresponding of said supporting plates between said two supporting surfaces and for bearing said portion of said crosspiece against said bottom surface of said working plate when said fixing means fix said supporting surfaces to said bottom surface.

8. A table according to claim 7, wherein said engagement means comprise housing parts of said crosspiece in recesses defined by parts of said supporting plates adapted to cooperate with said crosspiece.

9. A table according to claim 8, wherein each of said supporting plates comprises two interconnected sheetmetal walls, said recess being formed in one of said walls and wherein at one end of :said two sheet-metal walls is fixed a section, located in a zone of the supporting plate distant from said bottom surface, and in which a hole is formed, a free end of each of said legs being arranged to engage said hole when said supporting plate is fixed to said bottom surface of said table.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION PATENT NO. 1 3,866,549 DATED February 18, 1975 |NVENTOR(S) I Marcello Berton It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

On the first page in "Foreign Application Priority Data" delete Sept. 16, 1972" and substitute --Sept. 6, 1971-- and delete "69945/72" and substitute -69945/71--.

Signed and sealed this 22nd day of April 1975.

(SEAL) Attest C MARSHALL DANN RUTH C. MASON Commissioner of Patents Attesting Officer and Trademarks 

1. A collapsible table including a working plate and comprising: a crosspiece for bracing said working plate, said crosspiece including a lengthened portion cooperating with said working plate and two opposite ends; two uprights, each one of said two uprights being rigidly fixed to one corresponding of said two opposite ends and extending by one side transversely to said lengthened portion; two supporting elements for supporting said working plate, each of said supporting elements including a recess to house said crosspiece, a pair of supporting surfaces transversal to said recess for cooperating with said working plate, and a hole for being passed through by one corresponding of said two uprights; and fixing members for removably securing said pair of supporting surfaces and said lengthened portion of said crosspiece to said working plate.
 2. A collapsible table according to claim 1, wherein said working plate has a rectangular form having two edges longer than the adjacent two and comprises a working surface and a bottom surface, a portion of said recess bearing said crosspiece against said bottom surface, parallely to said longest edges.
 3. A collapsible table according to claim 2, wherein said fixing members comprise a plurality of screw members and each of said supporting elements comprises: a panel including two interconnected sheet-metal walls defining an internal space therebetween and provided with bent edges defining said supporting surfaces and having holes for said plurality of screw members, said recess being formed in one of said two interconnected sheet-metal walls; and a transversal element connected to one of said interconnected sheet-metal walls in proximity of said recess, and in which said first mentioned hole is formed, each of said uprights being disposed inside said internal space defined by said two interconnected sheet-metal walls.
 4. A collapsible table according to claim 3, wherein each of said supporting elements further comprises a supporting crosspiece connected to a lowest portion of said panel and provided with a series of feet.
 5. A collapsible table according to claim 3, wherein each of said supporting elements includes a supporting crosspiece connected to a lowest portion of said panel and wherein said supporting crosspiece constitutes a transverse brace for said working plate spanning said two supporting elements, each of said supporting crosspiece comprising a support hole and each of said uprights having one end formed as a pin, said pin being insertable in said support hole of said supporting crosspiece, when said panel is mounted to said working plate.
 6. A collapsible table according to claim 1, wherein said two uprights are substantially perpendicular to said lengthened portion and said crosspiece has a section substantially rectangular, said recess being defined by a U-shaped slot formed in each of said supporting elements.
 7. A collapsible table comprising a working plate including a working surface and a bottom surface opposite to said working surface, two supporting plates each including two supporting surfaces for being connected with said bottom surface of said working plate, fixing means for removably fixing said supporting surfaces to said bottom surface, and a crosspiece member for interconnecting said supporting plates with said bottom surface, said crosspiece including a portion for contacting said bottom surface and two legs substantially perpendicular to said portion, each of said supporting plates further comprising engagement means for removably engaging one of said legs with one corresponding of said supporting plates between said two supporting surfaces and for bearing said portion of said crosspiece against said bottom surface of said working plate when said fixing means fix said supporting surfaces to said bottom surface.
 8. A table according to claim 7, wherein said engagement means comprise housing parts of said crosspiece in recesses defined by parts of said supporting plates adapted to cooperate with said crosspiece.
 9. A table according to claim 8, wherein each of said supporting plates comprises two interconnected sheet-metal walls, said recess being formed in one of said walls and wherein at one end of said two sheet-metal walls is fixed a section, located in a zone of the supporting plate distant from said bottom surface, and in which a hole is formed, a free end of each of said legs being arranged to engage said hole when said supporting plate is fixed to said bottom surface of said table. 